Bhuvneshwar to replace Ryder for Bangalore

Bhuvneshwar Kumar, the Uttar Pradesh seamer, has been named New Zealand opening batsman Jesse Ryder's replacement in the Royal Challengers Bangalore squad for the Champions League Twenty20.

Ryder revived New Zealand's campaign in the ICC Champions Trophy with a blistering 74 against Sri Lanka which put them on course for a 300-plus total but picked up a groin injury during that Group B match. He was ruled out of the remainder of the Champions Trophy as well as the Champions League.

Ryder wasn't at his best for Bangalore during this year's IPL, scraping together just 56 runs in five innings though he was slightly better with the ball, capturing three wickets and maintaining an acceptable economy rate of 6.76.

His replacement, Bhuvneshwar, is an 18-year-old medium-pacer who hasn't played any Twenty20 matches. He was impressive in the previous Ranji season, though, grabbing 31 wickets at 24.12, and often getting the new ball ahead of at least one of his more illustrious team-mates RP Singh and Praveen Kumar.